Entry No. 17 — the Missoula file — filed under: hands-on
Lisa Tate Glass
Lisa Tate is a nationally known blown-and-engraved glass artist who teaches out of her own studio south of Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley. Her two-hour introduction class is built for someone who has never touched molten glass: you learn to gather glass on the pipe, shape it, and handle the tools safely while she coaches one-on-one. Sessions are by appointment, with extra time added for each person beyond two.
The story
Drive 25 miles south of Missoula down Highway 93 into the Bitterroot Valley, and you'll find a working hot shop hidden off Kesa Lane in Florence. Lisa Tate is a nationally recognized blown-and-engraved glass artist who works in a medium where most gallery pieces stay strictly behind glass or under velvet ropes. Here, she opens her personal working studio to anyone willing to stand in front of a 2,000-degree furnace.
Tate’s own fine art combines hot-glass blowing with intricate cold engraving, but her teaching setup strips away the pretense. The studio functions as both her personal workspace and a rental shop for experienced regional glassblowers, but her gateway experience is designed for people who have never held a blowpipe in their lives. You aren't sitting in an amphitheater watching a demonstration—you're on the shop floor holding heavy iron tools.
What it's like
This isn't a walk-in retail storefront, so don't show up unannounced. Everything runs strictly by appointment. In the two-hour intro class, you get direct one-on-one coaching at the furnace, learning how to gather molten glass on the pipe, maneuver steel jacks, and shape your own first piece before it cools. Expect intense radiant heat, furnace noise, and zero fluff. If you bring more than two people, extra time gets tacked onto the session so everyone actually gets their turn on the pipe.
The move: Drive down the Bitterroot for an appointment-only intro lesson and each gather and shape your first piece of hot glass under her eye.
📍 Before you go Classes are by appointment only; call ahead to schedule. Studio is in Florence (~25 mi south of Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley).
- 📍 Florence
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 21718 Kesa Lane, Florence, MT
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Big Silver Slipper — Spot this surreal oversized high heel along US-93 on your drive between Missoula and Florence.
- Blue Mountain Observatory — Trade 2,000-degree furnace heat in Florence for crisp night air and deep-space optics high on Blue Mountain.
- MUD Project (Missoula Urban Demonstration Project) Blacksmithing Workshop — Follow up liquid glass-shaping with heavy hammer-and-anvil work at MUD's blacksmithing workshop in town.
Good to know
Do I need any prior experience with glassblowing?
None. The two-hour introductory class is built specifically for absolute beginners who have never handled molten glass.
Where is the studio located?
It's at 21718 Kesa Lane in Florence, Montana, about 25 miles south of Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley.
How do you book a class or studio time?
All sessions are by appointment only. You must schedule ahead directly with Lisa Tate Glass before making the trip.
Can groups larger than two take the class together?
Yes. While the core lesson is structured for small pairs, additional time is added for each person beyond two to ensure everyone gets hands-on furnace time.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · artistsalongthebitterroot.com · bitterrootstar.com
last checked: 2026-06-24